on lived in the athed, with the ghter; who, in r of Wellingbo1, the present Sons, Thomas, you such parish, not havnd a more mimy absence. ksmith under understandicitation of a was at that ge, and who to cultivate self compey; soon bes of the vilevery public as the town Te incidents wing the esed January born. The aracter, by I rememwhat you just

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him two
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much so, perhaps, for his situation. I lately found in London a collection which he had made of all the principal pamphlets relative to public affairs, from the year 1641 to 1717. Many volumes are wanting, as appears by the series of numbers; but there still remain eight in folio, and twenty-four in quarto and octavo. The collection had fallen into the hands of a second-hand bookseller, who, knowing me by having sold me some books, brought it to me. My uncle, it seems, had left it behind him on his departure for America, about fifty years ago. I found various notes of his writing in the margin. His grandson, Samuel, is now living at Boston.

Our humble family had early embraced the Refor mation. They remained faithfully attached during the reign of Queen Mary, when they were in danger of being molested on account of their zeal against Popery. They had an English Bible, and to conceal it the more securely, they conceived the project of fastening it open, with packthreads across the leaves, on the inside of the lid of the close-stool. When my great-grandfather wished to read to his family, he reversed the lid of the close-stool upon his knees, and passed the leaves from one side to the other, which were held down on each by the packthread. One of the children was stationed at the door, to give notice if he saw the proctor (an officer of the spiritual court) make his appearance; in that case, the lid was restored to its place, with the Bible concealed under it as before. I had this anecdote from my uncle Benjamin.

The whole family preserved its attachment to the Church of England, till towards the close of the reign of Charles II. when certain ministers, who had been rejected as nonconformists, having held conventicles in Northamptonshire, they were joined by Benjamin and Josias, who adhered to them ever after. The rest of the family continued in the episcopal church.

My father, Josias, married early in life. He went with his wife and three children, to New England, about the year 1682. Conventicles being at that time prohibited by law, and frequently disturbed, some considerable persons of his acquaintance determined to go to America, where they hoped to enjoy the free exercise of their religion, and my father was prevailed on to accompany them.

My father had also, by the same wife, four children born in America, and ten others by a second wife, making in all seventeen. I remember to have seen thirteen seated together at his table, who all arrived

N.

d escape to sea; other Josias had mes to see mather mechanics, iscover the bent upon some ocI have since, no small plealle their tools; fit, to have ace able to make no mechanic for my experihas been fresh ion.

ould be a cuttrial with my njamin, who d established required for I was recall

onately fond the money I ed with acas Bunyan's ese I aftercollection by ap volumes, My father's oks of pracreatest part at a time edge, more s, as it was ucated for er's books ally, and I time I deDe Foe's, perhaps, ed some of

ed my faalready a rned from n order to business er, though revent the